Gardeners in the Edible Schoolyard at Public School 216 in Brooklyn. Photograph by Ruby Washington.

There are 285 school gardens in New York City

By Sharon Otterman
New York Times
October 19, 2010

Excerpt:

There are already 285 school gardens in New York City, according to a recent state survey, part of a national school gardening trend. Most are small affairs, completely reliant on parent volunteers and teachers’ spare time, said Erica Keberle of Grow NYC, which coordinates school gardening projects around the city.

The P.S. 216 project, known as an Edible Schoolyard, is part of a second generation of gardens, which involve things like state-of-the art greenhouses, professional staff, large city grants, and ever-more-ambitious agendas.

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Engineering Society of Detroit and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers present:

October 28, 2010
Rock Financial Showplace
Novi, Michigan

If you think urban farming is a Detroit issue or will impact those in the agriculture-related fields only, think again. If you are an engineer, a healthcare practitioner, an energy stewart, or work in the academic field, then you must attend this conference and find out how this slowly emerging industry will impact EVERYONE in the State of Michigan.

The conference will feature four panel presentations with renowned speakers, who will examine urban farming in other states, discuss controversial issues surrounding this field, and outline how urban agriculture can become a statewide initiative.

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First head gardener, Catherine Shapiro, working in City Farmer’s Demonstration Food Garden in 1982.

City Farmer promoted urban agriculture in 1982

By Canadian Press
Lethbridge Herald
March 20, 1982

Vancouver (CP Canadian Press) – An urban agriculture group is urging Vancouver residents to save money and reduce Canada’s dependence on foreign farmers by digging up lawns, parks and boulevards.

Michael Levenston of City Farmer estimates 26 square kilometres of arable land in the city are not growing food. And he suggests some of the effort that goes into creating lush lawns would be better spent on producing vegetables.

City Farmer sprouted with a 1978 grant from the federal Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. The original members were not gardeners but people hoping to cut 12 to 15 per cent of Canadian energy consumption devoted to producing food.

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How can we, as architects, interface with the flourishing food production movement in our City?

AIA|LA C.O.T.E. presents
URBAN FARMING: Why is LA a Hungry City
Thursday, October 28 (7:00pm)
AIA Los Angeles
AIA|LA COTE examines the worldwide environment and resource-availability of the natural built environments; addresses global issues; defines sustainable architecture and settlement planning.

The world’s population growth has stressed the food infrastructure not only in remote and unknown countries but also our own. Moreover the increased awareness of the relationship between food and health issues along with the proliferation of fast food venues have added to the urgency for solutions.

While much interest is focused on establishing agriculture as an urban pursuit, challenges to the reality of farming in the city still exist. What laws and policies interface with the possibility for growing food in Los Angeles and what are the constraints of moving food, distributing food, and accessing food? How can we, as architects, interface with the flourishing food production movement in our City?

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